Japan PR Kit Checklist: What Japanese Media Need Before Covering Your Product

Short answer: A Japan PR kit is the set of Japanese-language information and materials an editor needs to write about your product without waiting for answers: a Japanese press release, a short product summary, a product story set in Japanese daily life, specifications, product and lifestyle photos, a demo video, the founder or development story, price and where to buy, sample terms, an FAQ, support and compliance notes where relevant, and a Japanese media contact. English materials are a starting point, not a kit. The better prepared the kit, the fewer reasons an interested editor has to move on to another product.

What a Japan PR kit is

A press release announces something. A PR kit is everything an editor or writer needs to turn that announcement into an article: facts they can check, images they're allowed to use, a sample they can try, and someone who can answer quickly in Japanese.

For overseas brands, the kit also does a second job: it shows that the brand is ready for Japan. A kit with yen pricing, a Japanese support contact and a clear certification status signals that the product is actually available and supported here.

Why English materials are not enough

Japanese tech and gadget editors may read English, but they write for Japanese readers, on deadline. Every gap they have to fill themselves (translating a spec, converting a price, guessing whether a product works on Japanese power) is a reason to choose a different story. English materials also tend to carry the structure of a Western launch: superlatives first, details later. Japanese coverage usually works the other way round.

See How Product PR Works in Japan for the wider process.

What goes in the kit

1. Japanese press release

Written in Japanese for Japanese media, not translated sentence by sentence. The headline carries the one new fact; the first paragraph gives the product name, price, launch date and where to buy.

2. Product summary

One or two sentences: what it is, who it's for, what changes for them. This is often the line an editor copies into a news brief.

3. Product story and local use case

The situations where the product matters, set in Japanese daily life: a small apartment, a train commute, a desk at home, a gift season. This is where an outlet finds its angle.

4. Specs and technical details

Dimensions, weight, battery, charging, connectivity, materials, compatibility and what's in the box, with units. Tech outlets use these; lifestyle outlets check them.

5. Product photos

High-resolution white-background shots from several angles, plus detail shots, with clear usage terms (where, for how long, credit line).

6. Lifestyle images

The product in use, in settings that look plausible in Japan. These are often the images lifestyle and design media choose.

7. Demo video

30–60 seconds that show the product working in the first few seconds, ideally in horizontal and vertical versions, and understandable without sound.

8. Founder or development story

Why the product exists and what problem started it. A short quote from the founder or designer gives editors something human to include.

9. Pricing and sales channel

Price in yen including tax, launch date, and where Japanese readers can buy or back it: a marketplace, your own store, a crowdfunding page or retailers.

10. Sample availability

How many units can be lent, for how long, whether they need to be returned, and confirmation that they work in Japan. Many outlets prefer to use a product before writing about it.

11. FAQ

Five to ten questions editors and readers are likely to ask: Does it work on Japanese power? Is there a warranty? Where is it repaired? How is it different from similar products?

12. Compliance and support notes

Where relevant, certification status for electrical or wireless products (for example PSE and radio certification), and who provides support in Japan. Editors are cautious about recommending products that may not be legal to sell. See the Japan Product Compliance and License Checklist.

13. Media contact

A named contact who can reply in Japanese, separate from the customer support address.

How to deliver it

• One download link for everything, organized in clearly named folders.
• No login or approval steps to open it.
• Usage terms in the same place as the images.
• An embargo date, if there is one, stated at the top of the release and in the email.

Japan PR kit checklist

For how to choose and approach outlets, see Japan Tier 1 and Tier 2 Media for Consumer Product Brands and Product PR Channels in Japan.

How Gloture helps

Gloture prepares and adapts PR materials for Japan: we turn your product information into a Japanese product story, write the Japanese press release, organize the kit around what Japanese media actually ask for, distribute the release, reach relevant media directly, feature the product on Modern-G and report the coverage. We can't guarantee coverage in any outlet; a complete kit makes it easier for editors to say yes. Gloture's Japan PR projects start from a PR budget of ¥300,000.